Belfast, if you’re weak in Geography, is the capital of Northern Ireland – where six Irish counties remain part of the United Kingdom. About 40% of Northern Ireland is Catholic, and about 30% are Protestant. While Northern Ireland has no standing army of its own, it takes little time for a Provisional Army or two to form up. Socially, they’re native Irish (the 40%) leavened by the descendants of lowland Scots and Border Reivers moved in by King James (of bible fame) about 400 years ago. Northern Ireland is more Scots-Irish than the rest of the island.
When the refugee from Sudan tried to behead a man on the street, I’m pretty sure that act brought the orange and green together. In Northern Ireland, the residents have centuries of practice fighting each other. A refugee from Sudan trying to cut off a resident’s head, on the street, in broad daylight, might well precipitate some unanticipated developments in Irish Democracy.
As the poem says: “A terrible beauty is born.”
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